Pharmacists ask public’s help to change Medicaid reimbursements

Three Eunice pharmacists say a two-month old contract governing how independent pharmacies are paid for filling Medicaid prescriptions is wrecking their businesses.
Pharmacists Aurdie Bellard of Bellard’s Pharmacy, Tina Marcantel of Maple Avenue Pharmacy and Robbie Chachere of Picou’s Pharmacy say they are losing money prescriptions covered by Medicaid.
“We are losing money,” Bellard said. “We are getting paid up to $1.50 on a $5 prescription, but that is just reimbursement. That is not counting the label, the bottle, the time a pharmacists counts and delivery. You are losing somewhere here 10 to 12 bucks.”
The pharmacists are members of the Louisiana Independent Pharmacists Association, which has more than 800 members, Bellard said.
There are about 1,000 independent pharmacists in the state, he said, and they are being caught in a financial vice between their cost and what they are paid, he said.
Marcantel said, “We just need to know across the board what are you going to pay me. If I can’t get that drug for less than that then I’m not going to order that drug. I’ll call the doctor to change that drug.”
The pharmacists say they have contacted legislators and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals for help.
Now, they are turning to the customers and the public for assistance.
“You guys call the legislators. because we are not getting paid enough money and we may not be able to take your prescriptions any more because we can’t afford it,” Bellard said. “Not only that we may go out of business and not be your pharmacy. Then you’ve got to go to the big stores and wait for hours.”
Bellard said the trouble began in December when Gov. Bobby Jindal privatized the program and reimbursements changed.
The first sign was patients did not have identifications cards, he said.
“It took 15 minutes to get one guy’s numbers,” Chachere said.
Bellard said, “As independent pharmacists you watch everything that across the screen. How goes much you are billing and how much you are getting paid. We were noticing the money we were getting back from some of the billing was just astronomically low.”
The losses were significant to the pharmacists who refer to themselves as “community pharmacists.”
They estimated from 20 to 40 percent of the customers are Medicaid recipients.
Bellard said the pharmacists are supposed to get a certain percentage that allows them an overall profit, but that is not happening.
The situation is different for major pharmacies such as Walmart and CVS, they said.
“Our purchasing power isn’t as great as Walmart,” Marcantel said. They can take that cut and pass the minus onto the groceries or merchandise and they do do that.”
The solution is in a bill in the Legislature, they said. That’s where they need the public’s help to contact legislators.
A newsletter from the pharmacy association stated, “Without any room for profit, independent pharmacies will not be able to pay salaries and operating expenses and stores will close. None of you are in business to lose money, and you should not be expected to do so.”

Want to help?
Independent pharmacists are placing contact information about Medicaid drug reimbursements at their business.
The ask the public to contact local legislators.
Sen. Fred Mills, vice chairman of the Senate Health & Welfare Committee; 337-365-8484; millsf@legis.la.gov.
Sen. Elbert Guillory, 337-943-2457; guillory@legis.la.gov.